Turkey Day with the Gourley's

Maybe one day I will make a connection to the Gourley’s who settled in Cades Cove and Abrams Creek. So far I have not had much luck. Still, having the same last name I find myself drawn to find out everything I can. Today I had a lot to be thankful for. Ben Bacot was in town and we would once again join forces to search out treasures of the mountains. Both of us had Turkey dinners awaiting our triumphant return so we did not have a full day. We could get to Abrams Creek in a half hour from my house so that seemed like a logical choice for today’s hike. I had already been planning hikes in that area to find remains of Gourley home sites in the area. There are several Hearon’s and Boring’s in this part of the park too.

I had plotted some waypoints and looked at some tract maps and had the ever popular 1931 map with me and I knew of at least five home sites we could find in the area of the Rabbit Creek trail.

Boy Boring lived where the Abrams Creek Ranger station now stands. We walked around the area and the ranger station after our hike but found nothing. Not for certain if the shed across the road was built by the park or belonged to Boring.

We walked just past the Rabbit Creek trailhead and entered the field where a faint road is visible. I found an area dug out where perhaps a home was but found no evidence of a chimney. We did find several bottles and broken glass. Also, we found some parts that looked like they were once part of a truck. This would be in the area that I marked for Charley Gourley on my map. The pictures on the map are also from this site.

The next site I have marked for Alvin Gourley. We found no chimney but there were several Yucca plants near Abrams creek. My tract and waypoints have blotted it out, but Garmin already had a point marked for the “Gourley Ford.” This ford across the creek is in between Alvin’s place and the bridge across the creek. Now these two Gourley places are a result of some documents I found at the park library so I am not 100% positive on these two. However, in the document it mentions Charley living on Boy Borings tract. The area of that waypoint is on the Boring tract. It also states that both Henry Gourley’s sons Alvin and Isaac lived on his tract which borders the Boring tract. So it could also be Isaac’s place. It further makes sense since the Gourley Ford is between these two places.

Interesting that we crossed over the Rabbit Creek trail and just missed Leason Hearon’s home site which we found just off the trail on the way back. Leason married Barbara Gourley. And here is a picture I found of his family.

Not far off the park trail we found Chas. Boring’s home place. From there we went looking for another home site on the 1931 map that we would not find. Here is a section of the 1931 map with the area we hiked highlighted in yellow. That’s Ben at the Boring home place.

You can see on my map where we started off in the wrong direction but soon got back on track. We got to where the home site was marked but never found anything. Either there were no remains or it was mismarked on the 1931 map (and yes that does happen.) We continued up the ridge and did find the next home site belonging to J. R. Hearon. Nothing more than a rock pile but it was still good to find it given the hike we did up the ridge. Just past this home site Ben found something very exciting.

This never happens to Ben! LOL!

From there we dropped right back on the Rabbit Creek trail and started down. This trail is way off on the Garmin software as you can see. Just before the right turn back to the trailhead there is a clearly visible driveway which goes back to Henry H. Gourley’s home place. We were both amazed as we have hiked this in the past. And it was the best chimney find of the day. Below is a “Plat Map” of Henry’s place. Also we have a photo of H.H. Gourley’s grave which is at the Boone Cemetery off Happy Valley Road. Naturally Ben thought it only appropriate that my mug should be photographed in front of the chimney. Luckily my camera survived the ordeal.

It was great to have Ben back if only for a short hike. Both of us went home to a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat. We only looked at other people’s garbage and never threw any of ours down so we were hopeful that we would not be receiving any calls from Officer Obie!

I was so glad that Mike Maples introduced us a year and a half ago. It is very hard to find someone that not only shares the same hiking interests but also hikes at the same pace. Ben is truly a great guy and I hope it is not so long before he makes it back. There are some people you miss and then there are people you MISS!